Drums of War
by KayBro08
Summary: Set in the EF. This is a sequel to The Wrinkle, which I have yet to finish. However I had this idea in my head and wanted to get it down. To briefly re-cap, Kate is the OutlawQueen baby from The Wrinkle, and is doing her best to adjust to life in the EF. Between her family and an impending war she finds out what it really means to be a hero.


**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to OUAT including, but not limited to, characters, locations, names, or references. No copyright infringement intended.**

**As I said in the summary this is a jump ahead from the Wrinkle which will focus one why Kate is special. This is about the War, the Coming Darkness, her journey to become the person she was destined to be in order to defeat the Titans. Enjoy!**

The war was about to begin. Kate may not know how to carry herself by royal standards at a ball, or crochet, but she knows people and people know her. Although not for the reasons that one would know of royalty.

The members of court, including all except one young member of her family, were under the assumption that she was adjusting well to her newly discovered status in life and the Enchanted Forrest as a whole. But they never would have imagined that she spent her hours away from the castle in black trousers, a white tunic, and black leather riding boots with her dark hair swept up into a messy bun.

They wouldn't have thought that when she mounted her monstrous black gelding Daegan she wasn't riding off to clear her mind. She in fact was heading to town, because this is where she feels like the charade finally stops. And more often than not, they completely missed the light in her eyes as she left, and the lack thereof upon her return.

* * *

People greet her with a smile and a slight bow of their head, she had made it quite clear that she would not tolerate people dropping to their knees at the mere sight of her (as long as she wasn't accompanied by another member of court, in which case the bow was generally not directed at her) and she would smile warmly back as she continued her way to the stables.

After she dropped off Daegan, she would weave her way through the market place, stopping to talk to anyone who wished it. This was how she was made aware of issues going on, and had bribed one of the advisors to take her suggestions, worries and the complaints she heard during her time in town the her grandfather.

As she passed stalls she would buy things, always more than any one person could need, to put a few more coins in the venders pockets. She would stop by the tavern to compensate the owner, Tony, for the dinner that was held every night for those with nowhere else to go and partake in a couple drinks of her own. Sometimes she would break up a brawl, assuaging both parties until the dispute was settled.

Most days she could be found, at some point, playing games with the children in the street. The chorus of laughter was infectious and any who witnessed this less guarded, light hearted version of the princess couldn't help but smile.

However, everyday without fail she would take the items she had purchased for the day and leave it on the door step of a family in need. She always made sure to include some items of that families personal preference as a sign that she remembered them, and she cared. She would knock on the door and immediately turn to walk away, never looking back to see the look of astonishment followed almost instantly by tears.

She didn't do it because it looked good, she did it because it felt good. She was all to aware of what it felt like to go without and it disgusted her that the nobles lived a lavish lifestyle while the majority of their subjects were destined for squalor. She considered it a personal privilege to provide for these people as much and as often as she could.

* * *

However, not all of her trips were lighthearted. Unfortunately vagabonds, thieves, and the occasional homicidal maniac would plague the streets of her town. When that happened she was confined to the castle, for her own protection of course, while the people she loved were left to fend for themselves until her grandparents finally decided that the situation was getting out of control. It was in these times that she would sneak out of the castle at night, well actually she would walk right past the guards without them batting an eyelash, and go investigate and often dispose of the problem before the morning.

This particular threat was very unnerving for all. This person called themselves the Snake, and for the past 4 days children had gone missing from their beds in the middle of the night and no one had seen a sign of them since. Kate decided that she needed to act, and exited the palace as she had many nights before. While saddling up Daegan she realized she had a shadow.

"If you think you're coming with me then you can take your happy ass back to bed," she turned to where she knew her much younger brother was hiding as he sullenly stepped into the night.

"I want to help, they're my people too…" He looked just like her sometimes, stubborn beyond belief and he seemed to have inherited the hero-complex that seemed to often plague their mother.

"Henry, you know I understand. But that doesn't change the fact that Emma would throttle me, and Mom would bring me back to life to kill me herself." At this they both shared a smile knowing that their mothers were often overly protective of the young prince.

"You said I could come with you one day, and you'd show why you love being out of the castle so much." He was still looking at the ground.

"I said some _day_ kiddo, in case you didn't notice it's the middle of the night." She grinned at him, punching him lightly on the arm pulling a smile out of him as he shook his head.

"You're going to get him aren't you, the Snake?" She nodded her head in affirmation, "You're gonna come back though right?"

"Duh, can't miss breakfast. Your Grams would kill me." He didn't smile.

He looked thoughtful for a second as she put the final touches on her equipment. "You were wrong you know," she looked at him quizzically. "You are a hero, you just don't want people to know it." It was her turn to look at the ground in embarrassment, "Why don't you want people to see the best in you?"

She stopped, completely unprepared for the direction the conversation took, "I don't know, I guess it's just habit." He looked at her expecting more, with an eye roll she gave it to him "Not many people were around enough to see that side of me. When people see good they expect good and I don't want to have to live up to anyone's expectations."

She took a breath and continued, "Ever since I got here it's like everyone wants me to become this person that I don't know how to be regardless of how much I want to. People look at me and they see someone that I have a very hard time being, someone I'm not sure I'll ever be and that scares me cuz I haven't had a family in…years, and I don't want to lose this one."

"I see it in you. So does mom, Emma, your dad. Grams sees it to. Don't worry, true hero's are always afraid right before something big happens." He stepped forward and gave her a hug, something she rarely accepted from anyone else. "I have the heart of the truest believer, and it believes in _you_. I believe in you."

"I wish I could believe in me too. But that is another problem for another day, time for me to go hunting." She gave him a devilish grin before sending him back to the palace, watching him walk through the doors and shaking her head.

_Kid's right about a lot of things, but unfortunately he's not right about me._

Satisfied that everything was in order she got on Daegan, patting his neck reassuringly, and directed him to the gates.

_I'm no hero,_ she thought to herself as she rode out into the darkness to chase down the current evil that was plaguing the town.


End file.
